Stza Crack – Star Fucking Hipsters/Leftover Crack – Interview Exclusive
Written by Rich Hobson
Saturday, 26 November 2011 05:00
Stza Crack (born Scott Sturgeon) has been slogging away playing and releasing music for almost 20 years, fronting legendary cult punk rock acts such as the ska punkers Choking Victim, crust outfit Leftover Crack and most recently Star Fucking Hipsters. One thing he does consistently though is produce high quality politicised punk with great tunes to boot, so the chance to catch up with him was something I jumped at like a rabid dog at the postman.
This year has seen Stza perform in front of gathered crowds both at Rebellion Festival’s Olympia Stage, and at this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals respectively.
Rebellion in particular was a cracking show, one that saw Stza play various songs from throughout his illustrious back catalogue, yet not with a full backing band but instead in a taste for something different, he did it all acoustically – giving the songs a new dimension that had previously not existed.
Acoustic gigs in themselves are an oddity – on paper they work easier than a full band show; especially if you are the only musician onstage – no clashing egos, no worries about being drowned out and no worries about working out a full band arrangement – and yet the difference between a good and great acoustic show is vast, and is the difference between becoming a background noise for whoever is in the vicinity to everybody being focused on the performer onstage. It requires a mix of charisma, banter and musical ability to really pull off a great acoustic show, and with that in mind it’s no surprise that Stza was able to pull of a truly great acoustic show. So with that gig at the forefront of my mind I got on with the chat!
Hey man, thanks for agreeing to take time out to do this interview. How was the Rebellion Festival show for you, you seemed to draw a good sized crowd?
Stza: Yeah it was alright, a lot of people turned up but that doesn’t always equate to a good show. A lot of people can make a bad show if you’re not playing up to snap, but I did really good and it was awesome.
How many times have you played Rebellion Festival before?
Well, between the name changes… I mean we used to do “Holidays In The Sun”. I believe I’ve played at this festival (including one US Date, ’cause they had it there once) 9 out of 10 years, since 2001. We missed one – it would have been 10 out of 10 but the show in California got cancelled.
How many acoustic shows have you played this year?
This year? One other show in New York City, at a place called Punk Island. It was a free show that we have in New York every June and it was awesome.
Leftover Crack playing Reading and Leeds might seem like bowing in and playing the Corporate festival to us, however Stza was quick to point out that compared to the US playing Reading and Leeds could be much, much worse.
On top of the Rebellion Festival you also got booked to play Reading and Leeds – how did the “bigger” festival compare?
We’ve played it once before. I like it because they’re not exclusive to corporate bands and they’re not necessarily corporate in their venture, when I last went there I was surprised that I didn’t see advertising for anything and I was like “Y’know what? You’ve got a big festival and you’ve got bands that you really like to play” and I secretly liked a lot of bands playing this year; I can think of 8 in particular that were good and was looking forward to seeing, and I’m glad I got to see them for free.
If you could take the Van’s Warped Tour in America, and compare it to Reading and Leeds festivals, you’d see a stark contrast; Insidious America vs. Polite England, and you end up out of your mind with bullshit advertisements, whereas I don’t think the organizers of Reading and Leeds are trying to brainwash anybody. All it comes down to is; when you get to be drinking age you want to drink beers, so you get beers, but it’s not in your fucking face.
I’ve played a lot of festivals throughout the world and this (Rebellion) along with Reading and Leeds are some of the only festivals I’ve been to where it’s not in your fucking face – it might have beers sponsoring it but there aren’t going to be billboards for it. I’ve spoke to a lot of people, and it’s like “actually, Reading and Leeds isn’t fucked up – they’re not corporate assholes drilling it in your face, there’s not a discussion of just “corporate bands” playing; what it comes down to is that they give chance for other bands to play – I mean, I can’t think of many other festivals other than Rebellion that would actually put my band on at a festival, with my political views and whatnot. Reading and Leeds does it, so it’s like “Yeah, you know what? I want to be part of that shit” and we don’t get a lot of opportunities without becoming hypocritical political punk.
In addition to the Reading and Leeds dates Stza also had the upcoming 10th anniversary of ‘Mediocre Generica’, his debut album with Leftover Crack, which also saw the band move from Epitaph records to Jello Biafra’s home label Alternative Tentacles.
September 2011 saw the 10th anniversary of Leftover Crack’s debut record ‘Mediocre Generica’, are there any plans for something special to commemorate the anniversary?
Well, with Star Fucking Hipster’s third record coming out in October, the 10 year anniversary was weird – it’s like a big cycle, we (Leftover Crack) only have like 3 records out (namely ‘Mediocre Generica’, ‘Fuck World Trade’ and ‘Deadline’, a split album with Citizen Fish) and now the Star Fucking Hipsters third album coming out right at the same time as the 10 year anniversary. But we’ll probably reissue ‘Fuck World Trade’, then ‘Mediocre Generica’.
Other than the recording of the new record (which we’ll get to later), how has this year been for you so far?
How’s it treating me? It’s good. I’m glad that this is my job – I like washing dishes but it’s not preferable, and I love playing shows.
You’ve been writing and releasing music now for almost 20 years, how would you say your perspective on the world has changed since you began?
It (the world) hasn’t changed in a way that is palpable, but it’s been a gradual change – for the worse – and y’know, that’s gonna happen. How I’ve changed? To some extent I’m smarter, to some extent I’m more careless and to some extent I give less of a fuck – which is bad, I guess.
Even if he is more careless than he was when he began, it hasn’t been a change that has come about through riches and distancing himself from everyday problems – Stza has always worked from the ground up, playing venues throughout the world without the backing of a major label, and has found himself residing permanently in the legendary C Squat, in New York City, which has housed more than it’s fair share of musicians, poets and general idealists.
Your living situation has often been at C-Squat, in New York, how exactly did you come to live there?
First you’ve gotta be a homeless bum, squatter. Then you gotta renounce capitalism, and then you eventually find a place to go – just avoid the drugs… They’ll fuck you up!
Where’s your favourite exotic place to play?
I like Mexico. I played at a place called El Chopo, it’s by Mexico City and every Saturday it’s like a free market for punks, Goths whatever. At the end of it they have bands play, it’s free – sometimes it’s crust punk bands, El Chopo in Mexico City is great to play though.
How do you feel about the current political climate? Bush had a lot of outspoken critics, but Obama has avoided this, in terms of musicians speaking out at least, does this mean the presidential situation has improved?
I don’t really have a comment on it – I dropped a lot of my political idealism almost 20 years ago and realized that it’s just puppets; it’s the background stuff that’s making everything shitty. Obama’s probably a puppet, but he does what he has to do.
Talking of what has to be done, Stza also talks a little about juggling multiple projects, and his plans for the immediate future.
You’ve released material with several different bands, would you say you have a single pet project, or is it an open-ended thing?
Right now it’d be Star Fucking Hipsters, because of the new record.
Can we expect a tour for the record?
Of course. “Star Fucking Hipster’s Volume 3: From The Dumpster To The Grave” – I’ll be back over in the UK next year promoting that.
Thanks your time Stza, and for those of you wanting to know more about the Star Fucking Hipsters check out the band’s Facebook page below.
http://www.facebook.com/starf.ckinghipsters
Photo kudos for Star Fucking Hipsters pics – Alyssa Tanchajja /AlyssaTanchajja.com